Missionaries of Charity Row: Bengal CM Slams BJP, RSS Seeks Probe

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, 12 July accused the BJP of targeting the Mother Teresa – founded Missionaries of Charity (MoC) and maligning it.

Her accusation followed the arrests of a sister of the order and a woman staffer of ‘Nirmal Hriday’, a shelter home run by MoC, in Ranchi last week for allegedly selling a child born to a minor inmate to a couple from Uttar Pradesh.

In a tweet, Banerjee said:

Later when reporters asked her to comment about the allegations against Missionaries of Charity, Banerjee said, “If any individual committed some mistake you can take action, but you (BJP) cannot say Missionaries of Charity is bad.”

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury also said that law should be allowed to take its own course and there shouldn’t be any harassment of the nuns.

“Mother Teresa’s (Missionaries of Charity) is a renowned and respected organisation. Despite our differences, we have the highest respect for them. It (the charge) is unbelievable. Let the law take its own course,” Yechury said addressing a press conference in Kolkata.

RSS Demands Inquiry Against Missionaries of Charity

Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has asked for a probe against Missionaries of Charity.

“It is a serious matter and a thorough inquiry should be carried out against Missionaries of Charity (MoC),” sangh’s Delhi unit Prachar Pramukh Rajiv Tuli said.

The Incident in Question

On 4 July, a woman staffer, Anima Indwar, of Ranchi’s Nirmal Hriday shelter was arrested, while two others, including a nun, were detained on charges of trafficking an infant. The shelter for unwed mothers in Ranchi is run by the Mother Teresa established Missionaries of Charity.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has ordered a probe by the Jharkhand State Child Protection Commission into the incident.

Police rescued one more child on Wednesday, 11 July, also allegedly sold by the Ranchi shelter home from Jharkhand’s Simdega district.

‘Nirmal Hriday’ provides shelter to girls rescued through the CWC.

Following this, the CWC shifted 22 children from ‘Nirmal Hriday’ and ‘Shishu Niketan’, also run by the order. The shelter home was also sealed.

The Missionaries of Charity headquarters in Kolkata had issued a statement last week saying it would take necessary action to find out the truth.